Extraordinary, New York-based Iranian vocalist Sussan Deyhim has developed her own unique sound which draws equally from Persian traditions and Western avant-garde.

Born and raised in Tehran, Sussan Deyhim started out as part of the National Ballet Company in Iran when she was 13, and traveled all across Iran studying with master folk musicians and dancers. She then joined The Bejart Ballet in Europe after receiving a scholarship to attend Bejarts’ performance art school Mudra where she was trained in many of the great world, dance, music and theater traditions as well as in classical ballet. She moved to New York in 1980, embarking on a multifaceted career encompassing music, theatre, dance, media and film. She created/starred in groundbreaking media operas at La Mama in the ‘80s including Azax/Attra and The Ghost of Ibn Sabah.

Sussan has been navigating between traditional music, electronics and avant-garde art. She has collaborated with Peter Gabriel (on “Passion”), with Ornette Coleman, Bill Laswell, Jah Wobble, Bobby McFerrin, Talvin Singh, Jerry Garcia, The Blue Men Group, Adrian Sherwood, with cyber-guru Jaron Lanier and many more, including Richard Horowitz (with whom she recorded cult electro-avant-Persian album "Desert Equations" for Crammed in the late 80s) and Majoun, the band she formed with Horowitz, Doug Wimbish & Will Calhoun. She has collaborated several times with acclaimed visual artists Shirin Neshat and with Sophie Calle.

Her composition Windfall/Beshno Az Ney was recently used by U2 throughout the US and Europe.